For Decision-Making

There are times when you can't make a decision, don't won't to, or several of you can't agree. Perhaps you can't decide who should go first in a board game or where you want to go for lunch.

Here a randomiser can make the decision for you, as long as people are willing to stick to a decision. It means people who dislike the result can blame it on fate or chance instead of having a particular focus.

For Inspiration and Ideas

Random generators are useful for giving you inspiration and ideas. They might make you go down routes you wouldn't normally consider or give you a place to start on an unusual project

We use this a lot in roleplaying game, with random tables for character name or who might be encounter at the ruined watchtower.

If you have ever done improv then you may have made scenes based on a relationship, object or emotion (or all 3). A randomiser could easily be built around this such as a deck of cards for Relationships, Objects and Emotions.

For Experimentation and Entertainment

Or you might use them a bit like gambling without the potential of massive debt. Use a travel generator for your next holiday destination or shake up your routine with a random new restaurant for dinner.

Lastly you might use it to push you into something you wouldn't normally try such as a random Meetup or suggest a movie to watch from a top 10 list of a random genre.

What Are Your Experiences?

So maybe you have used generators for decisions, inspiration or fun...what was your experience?

A Remote Software and Database Contractor specialised in Umbraco, Duncan works from wherever he finds himself. He is the co-organiser of the Python Exeter and Data Science Exeter meetup groups and speaks about Remote Working, Umbraco, Python and .NET
Outside of work he is keen on travel, random generation, foreign languages and good food.